“How Google Interferes With Its Search Algorithms and Changes Your Results: The internet giant uses blacklists, algorithm tweaks and an army of contractors to shape what you see”, an investigative report by The Wall Street Journal, is a disturbing read. It has also raised much concern in the SEO (search engine optimization) community.
The article is behind a paid firewall. These are some key excerpts:
“The company states in a Google blog, “We do not use human curation to collect or arrange the results on a page.” It says it can’t divulge details about how the algorithms work because the company is involved in a long-running and high-stakes battle with those who want to profit by gaming the system.
“But that message often clashes with what happens behind the scenes. Over time, Google has increasingly re-engineered and interfered with search results to a far greater degree than the company and its executives have acknowledged, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found.
“…Google’s evolving approach marks a shift from its founding philosophy of “organizing the world’s information,” to one that is far more active in deciding how that information should appear.
“….Far from being autonomous computer programs oblivious to outside pressure, Google’s algorithms are subject to regular tinkering from executives and engineers who are trying to deliver relevant search results, while also pleasing a wide variety of powerful interests and driving its parent company’s more than $30 billion in annual profit.”
Barry Schwartz, a leader in the SEO community, published this article on Search Engine Land in response: “Misquoted and misunderstood: Why many in the search community don’t believe the WSJ about Google search.”
Both articles provide insight into the challenges facing Google…and the challenges inherent in trying to produce the world’s most accurate search results, which has long been Google’s stated mission.